Singapore Open cancelled as organisers cite ‘challenges’ owing to COVID-19

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Open badminton tournament will be cancelled, it was announced by organisers Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Wednesday (May 12).

The tournament, which was due to be held from Jun 1 to 6, will not be rescheduled.

In a joint statement, the SBA and BWF said that the decision was made on the grounds of health and safety.

“All attempts were made by the organisers and BWF to provide a safe tournament environment for all participants,” said SBA and BWF.

“However, rising COVID-19 cases globally led to complex challenges in managing inbound travel. Thus, in the interests of all players, tournament personnel and the local community’s health and safety, the event has been cancelled.”

The Singapore Open, a Super 500 event, was slated to be the final event where Olympic hopefuls could earn points in the Race to Tokyo rankings – a system that decides who qualifies for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which begins on Jul 23.

The Race to Tokyo period will end on Jun 15.

BWF will issue a further statement related to Olympic qualifying at a later date, the joint statement said.

Last year’s edition of the Singapore Open was also cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: CNA